Over the last several years, Lauren and I have had several opportunities to return to the Fox River Valley area of Illinois but never had time for a review – until last weekend. Starting with a reconnection for dinner with close friends Jennifer & Danny Cabretta at La ZaZa Trattoria in St. Charles, it almost made me wonder why we ever left the area…
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But the complete gridlock we experienced in and around town – rivaling recent trips to L.A. and San Francisco – erased that wonder… pretty much completely. So, let me tell you about our dinner, as the last time we ate at La ZaZa was many years ago and I hardly remember it – I never took time to review it.
Boy, Have Things Changed
We arrived perhaps 10 or fifteen minutes early. Good thing, because it was really tough finding a parking place (it wasn’t even a weekend)! So, we took the time to stroll around a bit and Lauren took the opportunity to snap a few pictures. Boy, have things changed! As an example, it’s pretty cool that there are now a number of places that offer outside seating. Too bad that outdoor propane heaters were not to be found…
Good Old Days and Think About Dinner
Lauren and I entered the restaurant and, right on cue, Danny and Jennifer entered right behind us. We were early for our reservation, so we headed for the bar and took seats on the corner. Conversation, as always, came easily and was filled with laughter and plenty of reminiscing about the “good old days”.
A Lemon Drop martini for Jenn, an “up” martini with Empress 1908 gin for Lauren, a Myers’s rum and OJ for Danny, and a Grey Goose on the rocks for me. With bleu cheese stuffed olives. Thanks for a marvelous start, Josh (bartender). And what a fine way to begin the night! But we needed to head to our table to think about dinner…
Order In – A Shared Appetizer
First, I must tell you that it was very nice to see a fresh flower and lighted candle on the table… And – the clean and white paper atop the white tablecloth on our table. Very nice! You all know, I’m sure, that I like Italian food – it’s my heritage after all! And I was happy to be back at a restaurant that Lauren and I enjoyed oh, so many years ago!
A second round of beverages was next up on our agenda, along with a basket of warm and crusty bread and a dish of marinara for dipping, brought to us by our server, Tina.
So, we decided to share an appetizer, and started off with Carpaccio al Avocado: (Thinly sliced raw beef tenderloin, wild mushrooms, diced tomatoes, capers, olive oil, lemon, shaved Parmigiano and avocado $17.95). In a word – delicious.
Jennifer & Danny
Jennifer decided to order the Sautéed Halibut special (in a lemon butter sauce with shiitake mushrooms and a side of fire roasted spinach $36.95.) I thought it a great choice… Danny, true to form, selected a Caesar Salad to start his meal ($8.95). No description available on the menu, but hey, if an Italian restaurant can’t whip up an excellent Caesar salad? Well, no problem at ZaZa. They did a great job. He also selected an 8 oz Filet Mignon – medium rare. (Filet Mignon grilled to perfection, served with a side of roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables $52.95).
Lauren & I
For her dinner, Lauren chose Melanzane Parmigiano. (Thin slices of eggplant breaded and layered with fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese topped with a tomato basil sauce $16.95 – as an Entrée, add $6 for a total of $22.95). I can’t often find clams on a menu, so I asked for the Vongole al Forno (Manila clams lightly breaded, then baked with garlic and olive oil, topped with a lemon butter sauce – 1/2 doz. for $10.95). I also decided to get the Roasted Pepper Salad (Roasted Red Peppers and red onions marinated in a red wine vinaigrette with fresh oregano and topped with fresh goat cheese $13.95).
The Positives
First of all, kudos to Josh (the bartender), Tina (our server), and the chef, too. In my estimation, they all performed quite admirably for La ZaZa during our visit. Josh made excellent cocktails (especially the hand-made bleu cheese stuffed olives!), was easy to talk with and seemed to be having fun with his job. Tina was a perfect example of the way a server should serve. Smiling, cheerful and willing to make an exception or two to the “house rules” in order to please her customers.
Exceptions
If there were any exceptions, they would likely be: plating was only a seven out of ten, my clams were a bit on the oily side, color on the plates was a bit lacking and – very importantly – no freshly grated parmesan was offered, for topping on any of our dinners. This is something that all Italian restaurants have provided for meals Lauren and I have enjoyed. It was really missed.
Bottom Line
Why this particular evening was different, I have no idea. Everything else was “par excellence”! So, I can highly recommend La ZaZa Trattoria, and, in my book, they have earned Four Zins of a possible five. We all had a marvelously good time, an incredibly good dinner, and great service from Tina. I’m not certain when we might be back in the Fox Valley… but I would like to enjoy another fine dinner at La ZaZa Trattoria!
Your Table is Waiting…
Ralph Pancetta
La ZaZa Trattoria is located at 5 S. 1st Street in St Charles, Illinois.
